


The stars are lit up with love

by charliepoet13



Series: The Lion, The Mage and The Sheep [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25649299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charliepoet13/pseuds/charliepoet13
Summary: Lucy, Aries and Loke have each confessed to each other, so now's the fun/hard part, taking on each day together!
Relationships: Aries/Loke (Fairy Tail), Aries/Lucy Heartfilia, Aries/Lucy Heartfilia/Loke, Lucy Heartfilia/Loke
Series: The Lion, The Mage and The Sheep [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859464
Comments: 9
Kudos: 19





	1. Getting it all off your chest

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to continue with this universe, I hope you all enjoy it!

They were due back any moment, any second now she was going to hear that train bellowing down the track signalling they had returned. Her stomach was doing flips while also producing a stream of butterflies. The nerves were starting to get to her, every second feeling like an eon, dragging on to increase her dread. She'd agreed to their idea of telling their team first, had been actually incredibly excited about it. But time had allowed her imagination to go into overdrive. Twitsing her friends out of character and into harsher versions of themselves, playing nightmare scenerios where they denounced and abandoned her.  


Before she could properly spiral into doubting herself and her friends she felt two hands hold her own, sending her silent support. She looked up to smile at the pair, Loke on her left and Aries on her right as they stood on the station platform. She tightened her grip on them, allowing them to be her anchor.

“Thank you both, I really need this”

“It’s alright Lucy love, we know how you panic, though there’s no need”

“L-Loke’s right lo-” Aries cut herself off with a flush, still not completely used to calling others by terms of endearment. Instead she moved herself closer, cuddling her arm. “They’re nice people, they’re our friends, they’ll be happy for you, for us”

That was right, they would be, so why was she acting like this was the end of the world? She felt more frayed looking for her team's approval than facing down monsters, it just spoke of how highly she placed their opinion, how important it was to her that they approved.

A loud whistle made her jump, startling the poor sheep spirit and causing apologies to tumble from her mouth. Steam puffed as the loud chugging of a train filled the station, slowing down as it came ever closer to the platform before coming to a halt in front of them.

She took in a deep breath before letting them go and stepping forward, slipping on a smile. Despite her nerves, it had been a week since she’d last seen them, it couldn’t dampen the genuine joy she felt at seeing them again.

The carriage doors opened and there they were, beaming and victorious from a no doubtedly easily won job. The moment they realised she was waiting for them they seemed to lit up even brighter, eagerly speeding over to her and crowding around her. 

“Lucy we’re back! You missed an exciting fight, I got real fired up!”

“But hey never stood a chance against us”

Their exhilaration was infectious, Natsu and Happy leading the charge but the others weren’t far behind. She wasn’t surprised that Gray got even more excited the moment he noticed Loke was with her. In fact, the feeling was clearly mutual as they slung an arm around each other.

“Hey buddy, how have you been? Haven’t seen you in a while”

“I’ve had the most perfect day, you wouldn’t believe it. You might be seeing me in the guild more often in fact!”

If she thought their grins couldn’t get wider, she’d clearly been wrong. Loke might as well have told the ice mage they were both now billionaires for the way his body started twitching with obvious excitement. These two were really brothers for life, it was actually kinda cute.  


“Really? Awesome dude, we should work on a job together or something like old times”

“Absolutely! Watch out Earthland, the Dynamic Duo are back!”

“I wonder what a three way brawl between us would be like?”

“It’d end with me as the victor that’s for sure”

“I think you’ve spent too long away from the guild lion boy, it’s messing with your head”

As the three hotheads started their rather predictable fight over who was the strongest, she couldn’t help shaking her head incredulously. She spotted Erza standing by her and smiling knowingly. She tilted her head in a question that filled the atmosphere between them, not quite vocalised but still there. She felt herself misstep, freeze solid, as her mind tried to figure out how to answer her.

“Aries is here too you know!” Carla huffed at them, ignoring the way they jumped, apparently annoyed that she’d been overlooked. Well, she was a mother figure type to softer souls, maybe she felt it was her duty to include everyone. “How are you doing?”

“Ah, yes, how are you doing Aries?!”

Wendy followed her Exceed's lead, bowing slightly to Aries in greeting. It was supposed to be a polite gesture, but it just succeeded in overwhelming her and causing the unsure spirit to bow lower to overcompensate for her anxiety. She wanted to answer the burning question Erza had for her, but she needed to break up their awkward little dance routine first. 

“Thank you for caring for Aries Carla” She moved to Aries, gently convincing her to stand straighter and holding her hand. “We’ve shared a nice week together, just us three, it’s been fun”

“Y-yeah, really fun...thank you for asking”

“That’s great, I was worried you’d be a little lonely with all of us going out without you. I know you chose to stay but…”

She hummed in the positive, her hand twitching in Aries’s grip as she sought comfort. If she wanted to she could move this conversation toward what needed to be said, or she could hold on a little bit longer. It would be a little cowardly she could admit but it would save her from the threat of growing panic and stress.

Unfortunately the choice was taken from her as Erza took control of the conversation and the direction it was going in. 

“Well she had something important she needed to do, didn’t you Lucy? Did everything go well?”

At least she was being vague enough so that a negative answer wouldn’t lead to her pouring her heart out in the street. Though that was the type of blunt yet considerate respect you get from Erza. It was also an out, she could just shake her head, they’d cheer her up and then they’d all go on with their lives. But that wasn’t fair, not to Loke, not to Aries, she was proud of being with them, she needed them to know that. To turn away could give them the wrong idea or hurt them. Besides, she would not lie to or hide away from her friends.

Plucking up all her courage she gently tugged Aries closer to her before reaching out for Loke. He came to her easily the moment she needed him, shrugging off the others to hold her hand and stand as close as he could, side up against hers. She stood proudly between them, a grin fueled by her love bursting onto her face.

“It went perfectly Erza, I got everything I’ve ever wanted”

There was a small squeak beside her as Aries hid her face into her shoulder, hiding the small thank you spoken into her skin. It made its way to her heart easily and helped keep her standing strong now that the truth was out there for them to see. Meanwhile her other side was bombarded with the much more obvious lovey dovey sunshine that was her boyfriend, he was actively holding back from kissing her and she absently wondered how long he’d last. Understanding dawned on Erza’s face as her gaze darted between the three of them, a satisfied smile curved her lips as she nodded in approval.

“So it was them that you were talking about?”

“Yeah...sorry for not telling you that I meant two of my spirits, but it seemed complicated enough already to be honest”

“It’s fine Lucy, I understand. As long as all three of you are happy together then I am satisfied. I’m proud you were brave enough to confess your true feelings, it no doubt took a lot of courage”

Her cheeks flamed up under the praise and it took everything in her to not look away, but she needed to look her friend in the eye as she thanked her. Hoping deep down that she understood how much weight she’d taken away from her this past week, how she’d given her the first step and allowed her to fly. She wasn’t sure she’d have ever confessed without that support, the knowledge that someone accepted that part of her, even if just for a little while.

“Wait a sec! Together? As in…”

“Yes Natsu, we’re all in a relationship with each other”

A small gasp from Wendy, before and encouraging smile spread across her face. She looked eager to congralute them, though probably also didn't want to interrupt the ongoing conversation. She not so subtly slid over to Aries to whisper her support. Her gaze turned back to Natsu, a frown had appeared on his face as he crossed his arms.

“How does that work? There’s three of you right?”

A huff behind her as Loke moved to be in between her and Aries, slugging an arm around them both. His cheerful disposition seemed a little forced as he responded.

“Why, it’s easy. I’m in love with Aries and Lucy.” He paused to give them both a kiss on the cheek, as if to emphasize his point. “Lucy is in love with me and Aries. Aries is in love with me and Lucy. So we’re all in love with each other and are happy together.”

He didn’t need to be so insulted. She could understand the confusion but Natsu wouldn’t be so blunt out of malice, rather out of ignorance, a need to understand. Proving her point, he beamed widely at them, hands resting on his hips.

“Ah! I get it! That’s great!”

There was a snort as Gray got a little closer, looking them over. Any worries that he disagreed were dispelled by the mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“I think someone just got incredibly lucky, right buddy?”

“Don’t I know it, I still think I’m about to wake up from some amazing dream. Though it sounds like maybe you’re jealous?”

“Jealous?!”

“Yup, not that I can blame you. They are the most brilliant ladies around”

The ice mage finally made eye contact with her, before facing Aries then sighing.

“You know you’ve made him unbearable now right?”

“He was already unbearable with his flirting, might as well give him a good reason to”

“S-sorry if he’s too much, we’ll keep an eye on him…”

She held back a groan. Her sweet nature was so lovely, but worries of her being manipulated came back to haunt her. She'd have to nip this in the bud as fast as she could.

“Don’t apologise on his behalf Aries. It is an important rule in a relationship, that we’re here to support each other. But that doesn’t mean taking all the slack for him. Or constantly apologising for him, he can say sorry on his own”

“R-right so-”

“It’s fine, it’s ok. We’ll deal with each separate situation as it comes. Even the ones his idiocy will no doubt drop us into.”

She can say that, but they both knew they enjoyed his ridiculous over the top gestures, it definitely kept their lives interesting. 

“Well as long as you’re willing to take responsibility for this idiot then it’s all fine”

“Excuse me?”

“We’ll do our best, right Aries?”

“Right...If he’s too naughty we can just put him in time out or something”

“Oh, we could go out on a date together while we leave him in the Celestial world?”

“Yeah…”

There was a pause before she received the most gentle kiss on her cheek she’d ever gotten. Aries retreated a little ways from her, the clear perpetrator of that viscous attack, her own cheeks a blazing red. Her heart soared for her, that had been so brave! To kiss her in front of her friends! Aries was the absolute cutest, no question! 

An arm tightened around her waist as she was suddenly pulled into a familiar chest, alongside Aries. She almost rolled her eyes at his antics, he’s never one to be excluded was he?

“Excuse me, I’m still here you know?”

“S-so?”

“Yeah? We don’t get your point”

“Could you please stop encouraging Aries to tease me the way you do? You vile vixen”

“Never” 

There was a small growl by her ear, almost causing a shudder to run through her, but she would never give him the satisfaction. Instead she laughed at his stupid behaviour, encouraged by his so called best friend’s snickering. His growl turned to whining at the savage betrayal as Team Natsu pitched in to tease him, easily rolling with the new conversation and change. 

Why had she been so scared? Why had she expeected a negative outcome from all this? Expectations had laid heavily on her as a child, the fear of never meeting them had kept her obedient, kept pushing her to always try and be perfect, perhaps it still did. A part of her mind feared the day she messed up so badly her friends stopped accepting her. They weren’t so shallow as to abandon her for who her heart chose, she knew that, but it was so uplifting to hear it.

Also, it had been obvious to her spirits that they would accept them, Loke and Aries entering this staion with much more ease than she did. Thinking about it, knowing some certain members of Fairytail their relationship would probably be heavily encouraged. Still.. She’d never be able to express the gratitude she felt, the lightness of her shoulders as the dread was lifted off of her. She would be able to announce her love to Fairytail incredibly confident in herself and her choice, now that she knew those closest to her still loved her. Tears threatened to join her laughter, relief and freedom mixed in with her pure elation.

“Come, let’s go celebrate this new relationship, this new step in your life”

It was Erza who saved her from making a fool of herself, like she always did. Though the others were quick to back her up.

“Yeah! Let’s go tell everyone at Fairytail then grab some food! A large meal to celebrate!”

“Aye! Let’s fill our stomachs!”

“I know some quieter places if that’s what you’d prefer too!”

“Right, I want to spend today with all of you, wherever it is that we go. You can tell me all about your journey”

“And you can tell us how your weeks went. I’m interested to know how my best bud finally stopped moping about you two and confessed”

Now that was a surprise, definitely some new information that the lion in question would have never given them.

“...He moped about us?”

“Leo was sad about us...I’m sorry for never noticing”

“You don’t need to apologise my sweet little lamb. After all I never noticed your feelings for me, which is a crime I deeply regret and hope to make up to you. Gray, on the other hand, is treading on thin ice”

“Oh no man, this is payback, I don’t owe you a thing”

“...Why do I get the feeling I’m going to be healing a lot of wounds tonight?”

“Wendy, if they’re stupid enough to fight and hurt themselves just leave them in a ditch”

“Carla!”

They moved as a group, leaving the station and laughing together. Loke’s arms unravelled from them so he could tap their hands. After a moment’s deliberation, they let him in, allowing him to hold onto the both of them and give them both affection. Despite teasing about being overly needy from Gray, he stood proudly between them and he knew that they were also happy to stand alongside him. Now that those closest to them knew and accepted them, their future was looking brighter and more open than before. She was ready now, no panic, no second doubts to hold her back, to continue moving forward and growing with her two celestial lovers at her side.

Her new life filled with love was only just beginning.


	2. Aries steps up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A unique chance allows Lucy to spend some time wih Aries in a place with some not so fond memories, she's determined to change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being paitient with me. I work in retail so this ttime of the year leaves me with barely any time to write. I shall press on when I can though.

It had been an interesting request, Blue Pegasus asking for assistance in a Dark Guild extermination mission. It was figured the target guild was extremely powerful if they were reaching out for help, so of course Fairytail’s most destructive team was sent in. The train ride over had been an enticing mixture of anticipation and questioning. The message hadn’t given them too much info to work on, they’d apparently get a full briefing when they arrived at the guild, so there was a lot to speculate.

They eagerly got off the train, chattering about their upcoming mission.

“This might be a real fight, a chance to get fired up!”

“As long as you save some for me, I’m not going to be just standing around you know?”

“I dunno, with me on the case we probably don’t need you. I’ll definitely knock more out than you anyway”

“We’ll see about that, want to make it a competition?”

“Of course! Just don’t come crying to me when you lose”

She did her best to block out the predictable ensuing argument, though they didn’t make it easy for her. Instead she turned to her other companions, Wendy and Erza, for a more sane conversation.

“So what’s the plan?”

Erza returned her inquisitive look with a thoughtful turn of the head, before sighing.

“I’m not sure. To prevent sensitive information from being stolen if the request was interrupted it’s very vague. The fact we’re fighting a dark guild took some effort from Levy to find out. The bits that aren’t vague are in code and took a while to decode, that was probably Hibiki’s work and idea. All I know for certain is that we’re invited to a meeting on the 26th to properly explain everything and I suppose discuss any information they’ve gathered.”

That made sense, there was no point spilling everything on a request, especially if it got stolen. Honestly this was pretty good pre-planning on their part, definitely not Ichiya who came up with this then. They were probably scouting out this dark guild until the last possible second, hence the late date, which suggested they were going to be quite the formidable foe. This was going to be interesting. Still something was bugging her, a nagging in her brain that they were forgetting something…

“Um, Erza?”

“Yes Wendy?”

Her trepidation seemed to be shared, if her confused look was anything to go by.

“We definitely have to be there on the 26th right?”

“Right! I’m certain about that part, Levy gave me her word on it”

“Right...so why are we here now? It’s the 25th”

Erza froze solid, forcing her and Wendy to pause lest they leave her there. Her shocked expression should have been funny, but her heart went out to her instead. That’s what had been bothering her. They were-

“We’re here early?”

“Yes?”

What followed was an uncomfortable pause as Erza stubborn;ly fought back against her own embarrassment, though it still stained her cheeks. She coughed abruptly as the arguing trio finally noticed they’d sped ahead, turning around to join them.

“What’s the hold up?”

“Um well...It turns out I may have gotten too overzealous when packing. I’d confused the date so-”

“We’re not here late are we?”

“Or worse, a week early or something”

“No, no of course not!” She wasn’t sure Erza had the right to look so indignant considering the conversation topic. She waved them off, doing her best to seem stern. “Just a day early, but that means we aren’t needed until tomorrow…”

They both looked like they wanted to tease her, but both knew they’d visit an early grave if they did, so it was with great effort that they kept their grins off their faces, though they were fooling no one.

“Well that just means we get to sleepover here tonight, it’s been a while since we’ve had to share an inn room."

Yeah and there was a good reason for that. Several between the snoring, pillow fights and drunken dares. Still, she did sorta miss it. It would be nice to have some time away from that chaos first though. Some calm before the storm that would be the next few days would be highly appreciated. The idea got a nod of approval from Erza though so she will have to mentally prepare for a rough night.

"I will scout out a room for us, after I inform Blue Pegasus of our arrival"

"Do you want some company? That doesn't sound like it will be fun"

Getting an inn to accept Fairytail members was one thing, but add on Erza's clear discomfort around certain Blue Pegasus members and it sounded like a sour day for her.

"No, I won't ruin your day too. You should all have fun and relax while you can. I shall see this as taking responsibility for pulling you all out here early"

"If you insist…"

"I do"

Wendy placed a hand on her arm, smiling brightly.

"Just make sure you do something to treat yourself."

She immediately nodded along, agreeing with her. Erza shouldn’t be all work, she burdens herself with enough stress as it is

“Trust me, the moment Blue Pegasus knows we’re here and everythings sorted I’m going to buy something sweet. So go, have a free day”

“If you’re certain…What should we do first guys-”

She cut herself off, exasperated to notice that the men of their group had vanished. They’d no doubt made a break for it the moment they knew they had the day to themselves. Finding them in such a large winding city would be a pointless endeavour, a waste of these precious moments that they can use to relax.

“Uh Lucy, um I would also like to spend time with Carla, we don’t get any time together really, not like we used to. So I-”

Understanding came easily to her as she gently patted Wendy’s head, calming her. Her nervousness reminded her of a certain someone. Someone who would know this town very well. Perhaps they would even agree to show her around and make some new, more positive memories here.

“You two go have fun. You’ve given me an idea of my own of how I want to spend today"

"We have? So you don't mind…?"

"Not at all"

She gave her best convincing smile, though it wasn't needed. Carla was already plodding off down the street, encouraging Wendy to follow her.

"You heard her, have a good day Lucy!”

“I’ll move on too, I hope your plan goes well, whatever it is”

Despite her claims of ignorance, her knowing smile did nothing to back that up. Still, future teasing from Erza or not, there were cheerful waves and calls of goodbyes as they all split up and went their separate ways. She hoped this town was ready for Team Natsu unsupervised, though if it dealt with Pegasus on the daily then it was probably fine.

She shook herself to prepare herself before letting her anticipation show on her face in the form of a warm grin. Strange circumstances aside, she couldn’t deny she was looking forward to this. In a moment a golden key was in her hand and she was calling on her magic.

“I open the gate of the ram, Aries!”

There was a poof of pink wool in front of her, dispersing and revealing her favourite sheep spirit. Love and warmth shot through her with renewed vigour. There was nothing more inspiring than seeing one or both of the loves of her life. It brought life and energy to every breath, every movement, love constantly fueled her.

_ I’m starting to sound like Loke. _

“U-um, how can I help you Lucy?”

So caught up in her bemusement over her own thoughts that she almost missed the quiet question, but she was never one to ignore her spirits if she could help it, especially if she was dating them.

“You don’t have to be so formal you know? I wanted to spend some time with you, if that’s alright?”

“Oh, yeah it is...Um but this isn’t Magnolia…”

Aries’s shoulders were stiff as she looked around, easily recognising the new location. Her uncertainty was clear, her previous time in this place staining it with fear and pain. Slowly she moved closer, reaching for her hands and gently holding them in her own.

“No, it’s not. I know this place holds a lot of sadness for you, but I want to change that. I know it’s selfish of me and feel free to refuse me if you want, but I wish to make new memories here with you. Positive ones to help override the bad, to help you one day move on. It’s your choice though, I won’t force you”

Aries kept her head down as she carefully thought it over, avoiding eye contact. That was fine, she’d never force her to be uncomfortable, but it meant she had no idea what the spirit was thinking. After a few agonising moments where she slowly started to regret this whole thing, Aries spoke up, so quietly she had to lean closer to hear.

“Ok, I will”

“I understand, you weren’t ready to- Wait, you will?”

“Y-yeah. Blue Pegasus are your allies so you might...you might come here a lot” Trembles shook through her as nerves started to build up in her brave lover. Her hands moved from hers to hold her close, encouraging her and showing that she was there. “A-and further down the line I might be needed here...I need to be braver.”

“I understand. But if at any moment you change your mind you tell me ok? If you need to go back I’ll close your gate immediately. We’ll take this as slow and steady as you need.”

“O-ok. Um first could we-?”

There was the slightest push against her and she quickly moved back, fear of overcrowding her speeding her along. Aries’s eyes quickly darted in the direction of the guild, of Karen’s home, before tilting her head away. Receiving the message loud and clear, her arm softly wrapped around Aries’s shoulders, moving her away. 

“We’ll go this way first ok? Let’s check out this side of town. If you see anywhere you wanna go just tell me”

“O-ok”

She calmly led Aries away, doing her best to distance her as far away from her worst memories as possible. She wasn’t asking her to tackle going into the guild today after all. No, they could easily find other things to do in town. Especially since Aries knew this town, surely she knew something to do?

“So, is there anywhere you’d recommend?”

“There are a lot of nice places to eat and have fun but...they’re very busy and…”

“Right...you don’t have to go into detail, tell you what, how about we look around for somewhere new alright?”

“A-alright...we can do that”

They started to weave their way through town, moving slightly based on Aries’s small hints, keeping clear of anywhere that made her uncomfortable. It was quite a lavish town, one that flaunted beauty wherever you looked, fashion and decorations seemed to be the more popular shops, all fighting each other for business. With Blue Pegasus as it’s guild she supposed that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, it was most likely their influence that encouraged others to fall in love with outer and inner beauty.

Taking advantage of this they started window shopping, she spotted quite a few things she wouldn’t mind taking home, but neither the mission or her wallet would allow the intense decoration she could do with the high end furniture proudly shown off for onlookers to gawp at. Aries pointed a formal clothing store, reminding her that they’d gotten each other something to wear but not Loke. They’d had a quick look around but it all felt a bit too stuffy for him, strange since he wore such a straightlaced black suit, but she personally felt he needed something to reflect his nature. She’d led Aries by the arm to a novelty store and come out with a garish looking lion paw-print tie, knowing in her heart of hearts he’d find more joy in that then anything else.

It was while she was pleasantly daydreaming of his shocked but over the moon laughter that Aries suddenly came to a stop, pausing in front of a brightly decorated store. She had to shield her eyes before she could finally look at the bright blue walls covered in equally colourful posters. A large sign over the door declared its name proudly in bright pink lettering.

“Huh a perfume shop? I guess with Ichiya around they were bound to make one. Though considering his face is all around it I assume he owns this one.”

Her shopping partner was quiet, looking up at the store with a strange mixture of intent and nervousness. After a moment she spoke up.

“Why don’t you go inside? Apparently all his best inventions are in there”

“Oh? I guess it would be worth a look. Shall we go in?”

Her love started shaking her head, a bit too rapidly for her tastes. Something was going on here, but she couldn’t figure out what.

“N-no thank you, that’s not my kind of thing sorry!”

“That’s fine Aries, you don’t have to like everything, but do you mind if I take a look?”

“No, please go inside”

That was a bit too quick of an answer from the usually nervous spirit, still she did want to see some new perfumes. For as eccentric as he was, she bet that motivated him into coming up with some crazy and interesting smells. Excitement bubbled up inside her as she opened the door and stepped inside.

The shop was equally crazy and bright inside, dozens of perfumes in a variety of fancy looking bottles lay out in cabinets and shelves for customers to peruse. A grin spread across her face as she took in a deep breath…

And promptly started hacking out her lungs. The mixture of pungent odors attacked her senses and body directly, tearing up her eyes and clogging her nose. How were the other customers able to breathe in this oopressive atmosphere? Had they just decided to spray everything at once? Drown her in the awful concoction of stink? Desperate to leave she turned and ran out the toxic waste dump. 

Back outside she bent over and coughed until the swill was out of her throat. When she finally calmed down and came to herself she heard slight laughter. She tilted her head up to attempt to frown up at the perpetrator.

“Did you know that place is some sort of death trap?”

Her sweet, kind, innocent Aries actually nodded at her, like the evil schemer she was actually turning out to be.

“A-apparently it’s a test of mettle among Blue Pegasus members. If you can survive there, you can survive a mission with Ichiya...N-not that I believe that…”

“No, he’s even worse...but you brought my attention to that store on purpose didn’t you?”

“M-maybe… D-did you like my joke?...Or was it too much? Loke says I should relax more around you both but perhaps I pushed it too far. I’m sorry!”

And just like that, all her growing confidence seemed to have fled as she bowed low, apologies spilling rapidly from her mouth in a torrent. With a small sigh she straightened herself up before placing her fingers up Aries’s chin, tilting it up and encouraging her to stand.

“You should relax more around us and yes, you are allowed to play pranks on us. I was expecting it more from Loke so you’ll be able to easily catch me for a while, since it’ll take that time to wrap my mind around it. So really, you absolutely should. You have no need to apologise for playing your understanding of this town to your advantage. But there is one thing”

“W-what?”

She backed off, crossing her arms and trying to look all knowing.

“A criminal shouldn’t be so easily caught”

It took a moment before she realised the small smile her owner meant that she wasn’t in trouble, in fact, she was being encouraged to be tricky. To be a little silly and have fun.

“T-then...Then I should run!”

She turned on and ran, getting a few steps ahead before freezing completely in her tracks. Her shoulders hunched as she quickly turned, an unsure expression on her face. A confused moment passed her by before she realised Aries was asking for her permission to continue.

Rage boiled in her at the implications behind her fear, did no one allow her any fun? Did no one treat their spirits or mess around with them? Had she been scolded in the past for trying to be anything other than a tool? She knew in that moment she’d tear the world apart before she allowed such an owner to have Aries again.

But for the moment, her spirit and love needed her assurance and she’d happily give it. She grinned and stretched her arms.

“Go on then. I’ll give you a head start before I catch you”

Their eyes met for a moment before a shy smile timidly appeared on Aries’s face, then she continued her run. As promised she counted to five before she took off after her. Aries was fast, but unfortunately for her, she was bright pink and white, so a bit too easy to spot in a crowd. She kept a safe distance between the two of them, enjoying the chase and the growing smile on Aries face as she tried to lose her. 

In an attempt to shake her she took a sharp turn out of sight, around a building and down another street. A second later there was a loud sharp gasp from her, sending shock through her. She sped up, turning the corner and spotting three men in front of her, crowding her and getting way too close for her liking.

“Oh! It’s the cute Aries! We haven’t seen you for ages!”

“Have you come to spend another day with us?”

From the way she was trying her best to discreetly back away, extreme discomfort on her face, it was obvious the answer was a very clear no. Now if only they were listening to her.

“N-no I don’t want-”

“Wouldn’t you like to be treated to a date?”

“We definitely wouldn’t mind treating you again-”

“Excuse me, but what are you three doing?!”

She let her annoyance at the fact they were ignoring Aries, talking over her even, show through on her face. She did her best to seem intimidating as she stepped between them and Aries, allowing the poor spirit to hide behind her.

“Oh, we know Aries from way back”

“Yeah, Karen used to always let us spend time with her”

It was these losers who used to crowd Karen? Who she’d toss Aries to so they’d go away? She didn’t enjoy using the word hate, but she was starting to get pretty close to it. Had they ever asked what Aries wanted? Even once?

“Well that’s all over now, I’m her owner and she said no. So leave, we’re trying to have a nice day out”

“I wouldn’t mind accompanying you ladies”

“Me neither if you want more refined company”

“What does that mean?!”

A squabble started out between the group as they each yelled about how much better they were. She shared a look with Aries before sighing. Anger and frustration was starting to mar her day and mind.

“T-they’re not worth it..S-sorry for bumping into them, let’s go”

It wasn’t her fault, she shouldn’t have to apologise that they’d apparently not learnt any kind of lesson since she’d last been made to go with them. No, their forcefulness was their own fault. Still, she had a point, if Aries was willing to let it go it wasn’t worth it. They were just about to turn away when their movement caught the groups interest once more, unfortunately. 

“You are very different from Karen, usually she loved being spoiled”

“Yeah, if you offered to take her some place fancy or bought her something precious she’d spend the afternoon with you. Or, more likely, let you spend it with Aries”

“Yeah, but it was so worth it to spend that time with such a cutie”

She shuddered, the compliment towards Aries seeming wrong on their lips, she could only imagine how she felt about the whole thing. Something immediately bugged her about what they were saying though.

“Is that what you were expecting from me? That if you got me jewellry you’d get a night with her?”

They clearly could read the mood somewhat if their hesitance was anything to go by, yet they still came out with asuch dumb answers.

“Weellll…”

“Maybe?”

“You think you can buy the right to harass my spirits?! I’d watch your next words, because you’re all on thin ice”

Her shoulders squared as her righteous anger ignited her. If she had to fight today she wouldn’t mind teaching some people some manners. She didn’t know whether it was the raging anger radiating from her, or Aries' clear distress that sparked it, but suddenly there was a golden flash beside her. Once the light subsided Loke stood tall in its place, glaring at these new strangers. His arms folded, he kept his eye on them, not moving even when he spoke.

“These idiots aren’t bothering you two are they?”

“Well, specifically they’re bothering Aries-”

“I-it’s ok, I’m alright”

“It’s not ok!” Her poor spirit flinched in response to her tone, not what she’d wanted. She took in a deep breath, doing her best to calm down and not frighten her even more. “Loke… these are some of the men Karen used to toss her over to. They’ve got it into their heads that they are entitled to her time now, despite having a new owner.”

A small snarl filled the air, the lion in him letting its anger be known. He had been startled by the mention of his previous owner, at the onslaught of memories it brought. But any rising emotions he was feeling were put to one side, he would not allow Aries to go through that again. She could see the vengeful determination in his eyes, a rare emotion for him, not that she could disagree with him.

“A stupid idea if you ask me”

“They tried to pay me off too”

“An incredibly stupid idea”

His forced cheerful tone was doing its job, his smile more toothy then usual, both a clear threat. His agreement to whatever she had planned wasn’t needed, but appreciated, it was nice to have some backup. Made her feel a little more confident with what she was doing.

“Right! I thought so” Her hand went to her side, easily pulling her whip into her hands. She gave it a test lash, a small show of her strength. “So if you don’t mind staying back with Aries, I’m going to show them exactly how I feel about it”

“If that’s what you want, come with me, my little lamb”

It was with very clear reluctance that he gently led Aries back, but that didn’t stop him from whispering comforting words in her ear, or gently holding her hand in his own. She was glad he could pick up on what was actually needed right now instead of just blindly doing what he wanted, though they both probably wanted the same thing.

“I’ll give you one last warning before you all end up in a hospital waiting room”

That seemed to do the trick, it finally got through their thick skulls that Aries wasn’t going to be leaving with them today, or ever. 

“Are you sure you don’t-”

“Y-yes!”

It was the loudest she’d ever heard the sheep spirit, yet it was still so quiet in the bustling streets. Still, it was the nail in the coffin, though no one expected her to keep nailing them in.

“I-i never wanted to ever go out with any of you. Ever! S-so please tell the others I won’t do that anymore...please”

Her head tilted slightly so she could see Aries in the corner of her eye. She had somehow taken Loke’s black suit jacket ( or perhaps he’d instinctively given it to her), huddled under it, yet not looking away from them. Her determination, as shy as it was, was such an act of bravery from the spirit, one fully welcomed by her. It lifted her heart to see that her confidence could flourish like this, even if she needed to be cuddled or a safety blanket to do it. Small steps were still steps. She didn’t miss the small clouds of fluff starting to appear around her, a threatening force ready to strike, one she perhaps wasn’t entirely aware of.

“...You won’t?”

“N-no, I won’t”

She was starting to lean slightly, nerves and her increasing use of magic was starting to get to her. The fluff was starting to creep towards the men, somehow looking insidious despite how cute it really should have been. It also seemed to be enough as they finally left, mumbling to themselves and seeming to be in a sour mood. Well that was fine, she didn’t care about their day anyway. It was all about Aries, not them. Questions on what would have happened had the fluff touched them would have to stay unanswered. 

The moment they were gone they were out of her mind, no longer of any importance. No, what was more important was the lady shivering in a jacket too big for her, who was currently leaning against Loke’s chest, while he rested his chin on her head and whispered words of encouragement. As she put her whip away and walked over to them she could hear him praising her bravery, his soothing voice and the way he was gently rubbing her hands seemed to be helping her, the growing clouds of fluff that had been starting to clog up the street dissipated, leaving the air clear. It brought a smile back to her face and warmed her heart to be reminded of how much they cared for each other. She honestly didn’t want to spoil their moment, alone in the world bar the two of them, but she was unfortunately caught watching.

“Aren’t you going to congratulate our brave warrior Lucy?” 

He needn’t sound so smug, but it was probably just his pride speaking.

“I was just about to. Are you ok Aries?”

“Yeah...I feel better now they’re gone. I’m sorry that they interrupted us”

She huffed, annoyed that they dared put such thoughts in her mind, intentional or not.

“It’s not your fault. We wanted a few hours together, they tried to mess that up, it’s their fault.”

“Right, listen to our princess. You’re not in the wrong here”

“I’m happy that you’re so quick to say that...actually you were pretty quick in showing up”

“What can I say? Both of you were in danger, that’s double the alarm bells in my head”

“Danger’s stretching it a little…”

“Y-yeah...We could handle ourselves r-right Lucy?”

She was glad that her boyfriend's normal rambling was interrupted, this was a better topic anyway.

“Yeah. But I think you mean you could have handled yourself. You were great Aries, I’m really proud of you”

The compliment came easily to her and it was worth saying how she felt to see the small blush on her cheeks, definitely the cutest person in existence.

“You absolutely could, I’m just here for reassurance, or a little support if you need it. I certainly don’t mind giving a few victory hugs”

He beamed before pulling her closer against his chest, as if to prove his point. Thankfully for him, his hugging victim seemed more than willing.

“T-thank you...It’s easier to be brave knowing you’re both there...I don’t know if I could tell someone off on my own…”

“Well you don’t have to”

“He’s surprisingly right-”

“Hey-”

“For right now, standing your ground with help is enough. You can grow at your own pace”

“...Thank you...I did enjoy the time we’ve spent so far, so can I...can I stay for a bit longer?”

“Absolutely, we still have some time before I really should go looking for Erza and find where i’m sleeping tonight”

“You could always spend the night with-”

“No Loke”

“Can I be blamed for wanting us to share the same bed? Even just to cuddle?”

“No, but you need to work on your timing, I may not give you the gift we found now”

“...A gift?”

“Well Aries, should I give him it?”

There was a small hum before she gave a nod, slowly moving away from him so she could hand him a small bag. He joyfully took it from her, opening it up to reveal the fluorescent green tie, bright orange pawprints fighting for your eyes' attention. It was awful to look at.

“This is the most hideous thing I’ve ever looked at...I love it!”

He was practically bouncing as he pulled off his normal black tie to hurriedly tie on his new gift. It was probably good timing that he’d taken off his jacket and she didn’t just mean he looked good in a suit shirt, no jacket required. 

He finally finished fiddling with it, standing proud for them.

“Well?”

She shared a look with Aries, doing her best not to chuckle.

“You look great Loke”

“...I don’t think i’ll ever be as brave as him…”

“You shouldn’t try to be, he’s the other extreme honestly…”

“Let’s go find the others, I want to show this off”

He quickly strided away from them, beaming brightly at those walking past him, seeming to ignore their looks.

“...Let’s stay a few steps behind him, we don’t know him”

“...O-ok Lucy...Can I keep his suit? It’s really comfortable….Sorry but I like it”

“Go for it, I don’t think he’ll want it back for a while anyway...Are you sure you’re fine?”

After a small pause she helped out her arm, allowing for them to be linked as they stood close together.

“Yeah...As long as you both stay with me, I’ll be fine and I…I promise to get braver”

“There’s no worry there, I’m not going anywhere. I doubt he is either, so take your time”

She gave a quick tilt of the head to their boyfriend, currently animatedly explaining to a poor passerby that he’d received a gift from his loves. They shared a small giggle at his expense before she leaned in to give her shy girlfriend a kiss on the cheek, enjoying the feeling on her soft skin meeting her lips.

“We should probably get going, but if you see anything you want to do, point it out. They can all wait and I still want to spend more time with you”

“Ok...now let’s make sure Loke doesn’t get into trouble”

She snorted out a laugh, easily walking in step with Aries, allowing the spirit to lean on her as they went. It would take the entire guild to keep him out of trouble, but it would be fun to watch. 

So they leisurely followed the chaos that was the Lion spirit exuberant in his love. They softly talked, taking in the sights and the scenery. By the time they’d finished exploring, they were the last to regroup, but no one minded, her least of all. 

Besides it meant everyone got to suffer Loke proudly rambling about how amazing Aries was, couldn’t have anyone missing out on that could they?


End file.
